Police of protecting Amar: Cash-for-vote witness

New Delhi: A witness in the 2008 cash-for-
vote case on Wednesday told a Delhi court that city police was
adopting "double standards" and giving a green signal to Rajya
Sabha MP Amar Singh that he would be let off in the scam
matter.

Hasmat Ali, who claimed that the cashscam hinges on his
testimony as a witness, has sought the court`s direction for
registration of an FIR against Singh alleging he was kidnapped
on September 25, 2008, the scheduled day of his deposition
before the Parliamentary inquiry committee probing the scam.
"Police is giving a green signal to Amar Singh that
they are not believing my statement (of being kidnapped) and
so he (Singh) will be discharged in the cashscam," Ali`s
counsel L K Verma told Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar.

The magisterial court reserved its order for December 12
on the complaint of Ali who is seeking registration of the FIR
against Singh and two others.

Police was relying on his statement in the cash-for-vote
case and simultaneously, it was disbelieving his complaint
that he was kidnapped, Ali`s lawyer said.

He said that crime branch has given a clean chit to
Singh, his secretary Tarun Goel and aide Ramesh Kumar for
their role in kidnapping his client whereas they are "solely
relying" on Ali`s statement in the cash-for-vote case.
"Crime branch of Delhi police is accepting all my (Ali)
statement in the cash-for-vote case but here they say there
was no kidnapping. It is simply double standards. Have they
interrogated any person? Whether Amar Singh was interrogated?.

"Prima facie, a case of kidnapping is made out and it has
to be thoroughly probed and accused (Singh, Goel and Kumar)
have to be interrogated. I pray that police be directed to
register an FIR," he said.